Sierra Club, SOSS Disappointed as Corridor Granted Third Free License Extension in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Sierra Club Canada Foundation and the Save Our Seas and Shores (SOSS) Coalition are deeply disappointed that a third extension has been granted for Corridor Resources’ exploration lease in the Gulf of St. Lawrence by federal and provincial natural resources ministers. The junior oil company was obliged to pay $1 million dollars to extend its lease beyond Jan. 15th, 2016 and as of today that fee has been waived by amending the existing license according to a release by the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board.

“There has been no action to fulfill obligations to carry out public consultations about this project for over a year now. This freebee extension is completely unjustified,” states Gretchen Fitzgerald of Sierra Club Canada Foundation. “Given what is at stake: endangered species such as the blue whale, sustainable fisheries, and dangerous climate change, we think this license should have been allowed to expire. At the very least, companies should pay according the rules laid out in their license agreements, not get them changed when their time is up.”

“What is shocking about this decision is that we still lack leadership based on scientific advice to protect the Gulf,” states Mary Gorman, who heads up the Save Our Seas and Shores Coalition. “We’ve been calling for a moratorium on oil and gas in the Gulf for over sixteen years now, and we will be continuing to push for its protection in spite of this setback.”

The voices calling for protection of the Gulf continue to grow. In 2014 indigenous leaders called for a 12-year moratorium on oil and gas in the Gulf and this fall an historic water ceremony was held honouring the Gulf, with special guest actor and sometime Gulf resident Ethan Hawke. 

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For more information, please contact: 

Gretchen Fitzgerald, Sierra Club Canada Foundation – Atlantic Chapter

902-444-7096 (mobile), gretchenf@sierraclub.ca 

Mary Gorman,  SOSS Coalition

902-926-2128 (home), 902-759-5963 (mobile), or mjgorman@ns.sympatico.ca

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